"In Spirit and In Truth"
In today’s society we are faced with many decisions, most of those directed toward our personal finances. But others could include your children’s future, or maybe some surprising events that are within your family. God knows we shouldn’t be hasty in making them, because they will put you in a direction based on your feelings and emotions that may or may not be God driven. Therefore temptation may appear to us, because of our indecisiveness.
The angel of light (2 Cor. 11: 14) as it is written in the bible, “Satan, the deceiver of the whole world, the devil, the tempter of humankind”. So, where your heart and mind is, that is where your decision will be. Let your heart and mind be of God and not of your flesh man. So, when the tempter comes, our decision will be based on what is just and true to God. Seek his counsel. Let’s not be so quick to act or speak. Waiting and having patience is good. (2 Pet. 3:18) says, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ”.
We know that knowledge is based on learning and being taught things that are unaware to us. The apostle Paul expresses his teachings from a more powerful authority. He states “I am apprehended of Jesus Christ”. In doing so, he gained knowledge. He has learned something in following Jesus Christ. Remember Paul is apprehended of Christ Jesus. (Phil 3:14) says, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus”. Paul is in Christ Jesus. He is apprehended. We need to be in Christ Jesus to recognize the tempter when he comes. The high calling of God in Christ Jesus that the apostle Paul is talking about is in John 4:23, 24. It is written “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipper shall worship the father in spirit and in truth: For the father seeketh such worship to him”. God is a spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
So, what is the high calling of God in Christ Jesus that Paul is pressing toward? It is true worshippers that shall worship the father in spirit and in truth. This should be our goal also. Let us be apprehended in this manner.
Phil 3:15 says, “Let us therefore, as many as be perfect be thus minded”. The word perfect in that verse means mature. Let us be mature minded, stated in the N.I.V. bible. So, we need to be mature with God. Grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord. But we also need to do something else. Phil. 3:13 says, “Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before”. That’s part of being mature with God and what Paul was attaining to. It’s also a way that the tempter (Satan) tries to attack you with. He distracts you and tries to stop you from growing in Christ by using your past. If the tempter keeps you dwelling on your past, how can you go forward into your future with Christ? Jesus knew this knowledge from the father. Jesus was a true worshipper in spirit and in truth.
Let’s look at Matt. 4:10. It says, “Then saith Jesus to him, get thee hence, Satan; for it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve”. The key word here is “worship”. You see, Jesus was a worshipper in spirit and in truth. He had the authority to resist Satan and tell him to back off. You shall worship the lord God. In the beginning of this chapter, Jesus was tempted. The tempter came, the testing came, but Jesus’ decisions were based on him being in the spirit. He was a worshipper. Jesus fasted forty days and forty nights. The number forty is a number of testing. Jesus was hungered, the tempter, the devil, showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them. Talk about decisions! Wow! How enticing is that! You would have to be in the spirit of God to resist that the devil said, “All these things I will give thee if thou will worship me”.
I wonder how many people would jump at the chance to have all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them, but all you have to do is just worship Satan.
Whatever you need or want, is it worth hurting yourself, friends, or family? Is it worth it! If we are worshipers of God, really love God, the spirit of God in us would say, “That would be a very bad mistake”. So, we need to be in spirit and in truth. Because some decisions we need God’s direction. The tempter will come at a time in our life when we are weak and desperate. Let’s press forward in Christ and be more mindful of him. Because he is certainly mindful of us. Worship him in spirit and in truth. Be a worshiper unto God, the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
This is a Voice Ministries message. All scriptures taken from the K.J. Bible
January 2008
Monthly Message from Scott Saraceni |
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